Coupling.



W. LA PARY.

GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2a, 1912.

Patented Mar. 24, 19%

2 SHEETSSHBBT 1.

@wuewtoz 'Wodbr LCL Wary W. LA PARY.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1912.

Patented M21124, 19M

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

2 V A i6 wue/whoz Wafiar LOL Yaryu COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON,D. C.

- iin'rr s a T FFTQ WALTER LA FARY, OF HERNIDON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO L. M. SWINDLER, OF YALE, IOWA.

COUPLING.

eeaeea.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WALTER LA FARY, a citizen of the United States,residing at I-Ierndon, in the county of Guthrie and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplers, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to air brake systems and has special reference toa novel form of coupling for the pipe lines of cars.

The principal object of the invention is to improve the generalconstruction of devices of this character.

A second object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism foropening and closing certain controlling valves in the pipe lines of carswhen said pipe lines are coupled.

A-third object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyholding the controlling valves open in case the car accidentally becomesuncoupled.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists ingeneral of certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying dawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection of the coupling means as applied to the frames of adjacent cars.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view partly in section on the line 22, Fig. 1 ofsuch an arrangement. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a single caruncoupled and the valve closed. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the 1single car as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line5-5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of a certain suspensionplate used herewith. Fig. 7 is a detail section of a certain guidecasting used herewith.

In the present drawing showing one embodiment of the invention there isprovided a car frame consisting of an end sill 10, side ills 11, andcenter sills 12. In connection with these sills there is provided oneach car the usual draw bar 13 carrying a coupler head 14. Secured toeach of the center sills 12 is an angularly bent plate 15 Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2d, 1214:.

Serial No. 739,090.

which depends from the respective sill and between these plates arecarried a pair of guidecastings 16 in the form of U-shaped membershaving certain notches 17 and 18 at each end, one of the notches beingpreferably square while the other is round. One of these castings isalso provided with a recess 19 for purpose hereinafter to be described.

At 20 is indicated the train line of the respective car. Extendingthrough the openings formed by the notches 18 and 17 is a pipe 21 whichis connected to the pipe 22. The forward end of this pipe is square asindicated at 23 so that movement of the pipe backward and forwardthrough the notches may be had without the pipe rotating with respect tothe car.

On each of the pipes 21 is a collar 24c and between each collar 24 andthe back end of the castings 16 is a coil spring 25 which normally urgesthe pipe outward. On the end of each pipe 21 there is provided a head 26and the passage through the pipe is deflected to one side of each headas indicated at 27 and then turned inward toward the center line of thehead as shown at 28. Each head is cut away in such a manner as to form abeveled shoulder 29, the cut away portion extending to the verticalcenter plane of the respective head so that when two of these heads arebrought together the beveled end 30 of one will fit within the V shapednotch made by the shoulder 29 and the face of the cut away portion.Furthermore, the parts are so proportioned that when the heads arefitted together as shown in Fig. 2 the openings 28 will be in alinement.Adjacent each of these openings each head is provided with a seat 31wherein is held a washer 32. Each of the heads 26 is furthermore provided with a valve 33 which is connected by means of a link 34 with alever 35. This lever 35 is pivoted as at 36 between lugs 37 carried onthe respective heads 26. The forward end of this lever is enlarged toform a cam head 38 while the rear end is extended to form a tail 39against which presses a spring 40 which normally rotates the cam head 38inward toward the vertical central plane of the respective head 26.

Each of the heads 26 is provided with a cut off valve d1 which isnormally kept closed. Each of the heads 26 is provided with a lug 42whereto is pivoted a lever 43 which is so arranged that when in oneposition the curved end 44 of this lever will lie between the head 26and the respective lever 35. The other arm of the lever 43 is providedwith a weight 45 which normally urges the curved end between therespective head 26 and the lever 35. lever 43 is an operating lever 46.

In the operation of the device when the cars are uncoupled the parts arein the position shownin Fig. 3. hen, however, the two cars come togetherfor coupling, the beveled end 30 of each head 26 engages beneath the camhead 38 of the lever 35 of the opposite head, thus forcing said camheads outward against the action of the springs 40. This opens thevalves 33 and, at the same time, the two heads lock together so as tobring the openings 28 into alinement and permit free communicationbetween one pipe 20 and the pipe of the adjacent car. Meanwhile theweights 45 have caused the curved ends 44 of the levers 43 to slipbeneath the respective levers 35. Furthermore, the springs 25 haveyielded so that these parts will be tightly held together no matter Whatthe position of the couplers 14.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the purpose of the pockets 19 is topermit the tails 39 of the respective levers 35 slipping into saidpockets as indicated in Fig.

If the cars become accidentally uncoupled the opening 28 will be openedto the atmosphere and the brakes will be set. If, it be desired touncouple the cars purposely the train-man may, by proper manipulation ofone or the other of the levers 46 move the respective end 44 frombeneath the lever 35 thereby permitting the closing of the valve 33controlled by said lever as the cars pull apart. It will be obvious thatthe trainman releases the lever 43 as soon as the train is apart so thatwhen it is again coupled the valve will open and be automatically heldin open position against accidental uncoupling.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a device of the kind described, a coupler head having an openingtherethrough, a valve controlling said opening, a lever controlling saidvalve, and means to automatically lock said lever when the valve is inopen position.

2. In a device of the kind described, a coupler head having an openingtherethrough, a valve cont-rolling said opening, a lever controllingsaid valve, means to automatically lock said lever when the valveis inopen position, and a hand lever for throwing said means to inoperativeposition.

Connected to the 3. In a device of the kind described, a coupler headhaving an air opening therethrough, a valve controlling said airopening, a lever connected to said valve and pive oted to said head, acam head on said lever adapted to be acted on by a second coupler I headto move the lever'and open the valve,

a spring normally urging said lever to close gles to open through theface of the cut away 7 portion, lugs on said coupler head, a leverpivoted between said lugs and having a cam head adapted to lie withinthe space formed by the cut awayportion, a spring carried by said headand constantly urging the cam' head into said space, a valve carried' bysaid lever and controlling an air opening, a safety device adapted forautomatic insertion between said lever and coupler head, and manualmeans for moving said safety device from between said lever and couplerhead. I

5. In a device of the kind described, a conpler head having an airpassage therethrough, said head being cut away at its forward end toprovide a beveled shoulder, and a beveled end extending beyond saidshoulder, said opening being extended at right angles to open throughthe face of the cut away portion, lugs on said coupler head, a

lever pivoted between said lugs and having a pipe extending from therear end of said head, a shoulder on said pipe, and a spring surroundingsaid pipe and bearing at one end against said shoulder and at the otherend against said castings.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a coupler head having anopening therethrough, one end of the opening being in communication witha source of fluid supply, a lever pivotally connected to said head,

a valve carried by the lever for controlling In testimony whereof Ihereunto aflix my the passage of fluid through the opening, signature inpresence of two Witnesses. means acting on the lever tending to causethe same to close the valve a holding device WALTER LA FARY' 5 forcausing the lever to retain the valve Witnesses:

open, and means for rendering the holding A. C. WOODRING,

device inoperative. WESLEY CUE.

Coplen of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

